With PlayStation 4 Rumors Swirling, Sony Kills Iconic PS2
As gaming experts continue to speculate about possible release dates for a PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720, it appears Sony’s PlayStation 2 has officially been laid to rest. The Japanese company has announced it will soon terminate production of the PS2.
Photo credit: ArsTechnica.com
According to Sony, it has stopped shipping the PlayStation 2 and will no longer offer the console for purchase once current inventory runs out.
It truly is the end of an era. The PS2 was first released in early 2000. For the next year-and-a-half it was the most powerful video game console on the market, and continued to dominate its console generation after the release of the Microsoft Xbox (November 2001) and Nintendo GameCube (September 2001).
In the years that followed, Sony released revised hardware that cut the size and weight of the device.
Sony says it sold 150 million units of the PlayStation 2 and that the console can play more than 10,000 different games. Indeed, it was an incredibly popular video game system: in 2008, Neilson ratings said it was the most-played home console in the world.
It’s hard not feeling a little misty-eyed about Sony’s announcement, though one must admit the hardware has become quite dated. Few quality games are still released for a console that is nearing its 13th birthday.
Photo credit: GTAgaming.com
As for the PS4, current rumors suggest it could use a powerful x86 AMD processor, between 8GB and 16GB RAM, and the cutting-edge AMD “Southern Islands” graphics processing unit. A possible release date remains completely unknown, though with the Xbox 720 apparently set for a late 2013 release, it’s likely the PS4 will ship no later than holiday season 2014.
So, what were your favorite PlayStation 2 moments? I’d have to say mine involved zipping around nighttime Vice City in a Infernus, REO Speedwagon blasting from the speakers.
http://www.manolith.com/2012/12/30/with-playstation-4-rumors-swirling-sony-kills-iconic-ps2/
